Staying Awake

• Design Observer -- a blog about design and culture. Some interesting stuff!
• The Rising Stock of Black Directors -- 84% of the top 200 S&P companies have black directors on their boards -- and more companies actively seek black directors (and other ethnic minorities) because of the unique perspective the bring. I wonder what other ceilings the hunt for profits will break?
• Tesco: California Dreaming? -- retail continues to evolve, and the limits of the big boxes have probably been reached. Where's the next growth? Think small ...
• The Office Chart That Really Counts -- ever wondered about the informal interactions of employees at work? What would happen if an organization could really map the relationships formed from informal interactions? A wealth of social information would result -- which if used properly, could result in some really innovative ideas being realized. For more, see:
  • Knowing What We Know [PDF] -- Supporting Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Social Networks
  • Making Invisible Work Visible [PDF] -- Using Social Network Analysis to Support Strategic Collaboration
  • Six Myths About Informal Networks [PDF] ... And How To Overcome Them
  • Nurturing Interpersonal Trust in Knowledge-Sharing Networks [PDF]
• Even In Death, Gene O' Kelly Wanted To Succeed -- At 52-years of age, Gene O'Kelly was diagnosed with inoperable late-stage brain cancer. He had months to live. The then CEO of KPMG decided to take his death, and what was left of his life, into his hands. He managed his death with dignity and courage that most of us will wish we can do when our time comes. He wanted to succeed in his death, as he had in his life. In his last few months, he set about closing the relationships he had formed; and writing a book about his dying -- the last gift he wanted to give to his daughters. In his death, he leaves behind a lesson for all us still living -- balance. Unfortunately for O'Kelly, it was a lesson he learned when he had ran out of time.